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Top Colleges in Florida

2014 Best Florida Colleges

Florida is home to hundreds of esteemed community colleges, universities, and private postsecondary schools, and they provide opportunities for prospective students interested in any field of study. There are many factors that play into ranking a college by state or nation. This list compiles several research- and review-based estimations including relative Forbes rankings, economic value according to Kiplinger, comparisons by the U.S. News & World Report, and more. For a full list of colleges, click here.

Please note this list includes only a selection of Florida's top colleges, and is not meant to be an official ranking or complete list of Florida's best schools.

University of Florida, Gainesville — Ranked 80th overall in Forbes National List and 4th among state universities. It was also ranked the 3rd best value nationally in public colleges for in-state residents by Kiplinger. The U.S. News & World Report placed UF as the 54th best university in the nation and 17th best public university. The University of Florida features a wide range of colleges and majors, has the state's second-largest student body, and holds a 94% freshman retention rate (an indicator of how well liked the school is by the students).

University of Miami, Coral Gables — Ranked 132nd overall in Forbes and the 37th best value in private universities by Kiplinger. The U.S. News & World Report placed UM as the 44th best university in the nation and the best in the state of Florida. The University of Miami is a private research university with a wide range of colleges and majors, specializing in their schools of medicine and marine biology.

New College of Sarasota — Ranked 189th overall in Forbes and the 7th best value nationally in public colleges for in-state residents by Kiplinger. The U.S. News & World Report placed New College as the 87th best national liberal arts college in the nation. Founded in 2001 and foregoing typical college processes, New College students receive written evaluations for each class rather than letter grades, are encouraged to participate in Independent Study Programs yearly, and are required to complete and defend a thesis to graduate, helping their students routinely win national recognition and awards.

Florida State University, Tallahassee — Ranked 193rd overall in Forbes and the 26th best value nationally in public colleges for in-state residents by Kiplinger. The U.S. News & World Report placed FSU as the 97th best university in the nation and 42nd best public university. Florida State University features a wide range of colleges and majors, holds a 92% freshman retention rate, and was ranked the best school in 2012 for financial resources per student.

Rollins College, Winter Park — Ranked 207th overall in Forbes and the 78th best value in private universities by Kiplinger. The U.S. News & World Report placed Rollins as the best regional university in their South region. Rollins College is a comprehensive liberal arts school with an impressive 10:1 student-faculty ratio.

University of Central Florida, Orlando — Ranked 462nd overall in Forbes and the 42nd best value in public colleges for in-state residents by Kiplinger. The U.S. News & World Report placed UCF as the 174th best university in the nation and 98th best public university. The University of Central Florida is also ranked as the #5 best up-and-coming school by U.S. News, is the second-largest university in the country, and has a wide range of colleges and majors.